


I'll Be There For You

by stilinski_wolf



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Basically a Sterek take on The One With the Prom Video, F.R.I.E.N.D.S!AU, Fluff, M/M, Post season 3a
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 18:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7651867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stilinski_wolf/pseuds/stilinski_wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles and Derek have been dancing around each other for years, and when Stiles recently tried to make feelings he has for Derek known, Derek pushed him away out of fear. </p><p>But things change when Scott finds an old home video from the pack's senior prom, and Derek agreed to be Stiles' date when Stiles' date seems to have bailed on him. But then Stiles' date did show up after all, leaving a heartbroken Derek behind - and Stiles never knew, until now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Be There For You

“So, this is going well, isn’t it?” Lydia says with forced cheer in her voice as she’s putting together everyone’s drinks.

From where he stood at the stove, Derek shot Lydia a glare. 

“Oh, come on,” Lydia huffs. “You’re going to have to square things away with Stiles sooner or later. So why delay the inevitable?”

“Because I’d rather avoid the problem until it goes away,” Derek grumbles, stirring the noodles with a little more force than strictly necessary, causing some water to spill over the sides and cause the stove top to hiss and sizzle. 

“I see that’s working out well for you,” Lydia says with a pointed look at the water still spilling to the stove top and making loud hissing noises. 

Derek slows his stirring down, sighing. 

“Look, Stiles isn’t a problem and he’s definitely not going away. So deal with it.”

“I can’t. I screwed up.”

“Okay, yes, you pushed Stiles away. But you were just scared. And after our talk, I know you’re not anymore. You can do this,” Lydia gives an assertive nod, finishing off the drinks and then starting to put them on a tray. “You’re his lobster, anyway. So I’m not worried, and neither should you be." 

Derek snorts. “His lobster?”

"Yeah, you know. Those lobsters in tanks at those fancy seafood restaurants? How they sometimes will grab onto another’s claws and won’t let go because they love each other? They’re each one half of a whole and holding onto each other completes them? That’s you and Stiles.”

Derek furrows his brows in confusion, turning to look at Lydia fully. “You are so strange.”

“Whatever, I’m not the one who pushed the one I love away out of fear,” Lydia sing-songs as she picks up the tray full of drinks to bring out to the rest of the pack that were currently in the living room of the McCall-Argent house, waiting for Derek - who had offered to cook dinner for everyone - to finish dinner. 

“That’s a perfectly normal thing to do when you’ve been hurt in the past, Lydia!” Derek shouts after her as she is leaving the kitchen, and he huffs as she only waves his comment away. 

Derek grumbles under his breath as he goes back to the noodles and picks one out to taste if it’s ready. He really wished Lydia didn’t make sense all the time. Because she was clearly insane. Derek was Stiles’ lobster? What the fuck did that even mean?

“How’s dinner coming along?” Derek jumps slightly, cursing himself for not having been using his werewolf senses, turning around to see Stiles in the kitchen doorway, standing there in black slacks and a gray long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, hands in his pockets, his hair nicely gelled and his feet bare, at home in his best friend’s house, looking as sexy as he’s ever been. Derek clears his throat and turns back to the noodles, turning off the stove to start draining the water.

“Almost done. Just have to put the noodles together." 

"That’s good.” And Derek doesn’t see so much as feel Stiles move closer, and Derek tenses up, tries to ignore Stiles’ presence as he finishes making everyone’s dinner. “So, how have you been?” Stiles murmurs and Derek shivers just at the sound of his voice, especially when it’s as quiet and low as it is in that moment. 

“Good. Great. And you?” Derek says, stilted and awkward and inwardly cursing himself for not dealing with this the right away. Anyone else and they would have been doing this right, would have admitted to Stiles already that he felt exactly the same way for Stiles as Stiles did for him. 

“Good,” Stiles says softly, coming to stand next to Derek at the counter. “I uh, had a date last night,” Stiles says cautiously.

Derek immediately freezes from where he had been pouring noodles into a bowl, looking over at Stiles sharply. Derek feels himself grow tenser than before, feels his heart drop all the way to his feet, feels it practically breaking at Stiles’ news.

“But uh…” Stiles continues awkwardly, shifting on his feet, looking down at his feet. “It didn’t pan out.”

Derek feels his heart soar back into it’s proper place, the beat picking up as Derek’s stomach unknots and he feels his whole body relax. But then he tenses up again as he thinks, “Did it not pan out before or after you…” Derek trails off, not being able to meet Stiles’ eyes.

“Oh! Oh, before,” Stiles lets out a strained, awkward chuckle. “Yeah, he was really annoying. I didn’t even let him kiss me goodnight.”

“Good, that’s good,” Derek says quickly, then shakes his head, cursing himself. “I mean, it’s good that you got out of anything you didn’t want to do.”

Stiles nods. “Yeah…so, you want help setting the table?” 

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Derek shrugs, smiling when Stiles smiles at him and then takes forks, knives and napkins to put on the table. 

Derek watches him go, snapping out of his Stiles trance when Lydia comes back in, glaring at her sly smirk as she comes over and starts taking the bowls of noodles to the table to help set the table as well.

Derek wouldn’t put it past Lydia to have listened in on most of that conversation. 

Derek snorts as he takes his own bowl to the dining room. Derek was no one’s lobster, whatever the fuck that meant. 

~*~

Later, after dinner, everyone was gathered in Scott and Allison’s living room, and Scott was looking through their DVD collection as everyone chatted and waited for Scott to choose something for them to watch. It was a pack night after all, and they always did dinner and a movie when they were all together.

Lydia and Jackson sat cuddled together on the couch while Isaac sat a little away from them with his wife, Cecilia. Allison sat in an arm chair closest to the TV and Stiles was leaning against her legs, and Derek could tell he was currently telling her a joke as he looked over his shoulder at her, making a silly face as she laughed. 

Danny was sitting on a chair that had been brought into the living room with Ethan sitting in his lap. It had taken the pack a long time to like or even trust Ethan, and it took Danny himself a long time to trust him, especially after what had happened with his brother betraying the pack. But things were good now, seven years after the fact.

Derek was hovering at the doorway to the living room, even after Lydia had tried to get Derek to sit down next to Stiles.

“Ha! Oh my god, look what I found guys!” Scott exclaims, whirling around with a DVD in his hand.

“What is it, honey?” Allison asks with a small smile.

“It’s a home video that I took from my mom’s years ago from Prom night. I’ve never even fully watched it,” Scott laughs, and Derek pales, tenses, tries not to let his reaction show, even though he saw Stiles’ curious look before he went back to looking at Scott.

“Dude, show it. I don’t think any of us have ever watched it,” Stiles says, bouncing a little eagerly on the floor.

The rest of the pack voices their approval as Derek tries to slip out of the room.

“Derek, come on, watch it with us,” Lydia implores, motioning him into the room.

“Nah, that’s okay,” Derek shakes his head.

Lydia glares at him, stands up out of Jackson’s arms and takes Derek’s arm, pulling him into the room and _damn_ she is strong.

“Ah ah ah, okay!” Derek hisses, pulling his arm out of her hand, and Lydia smirks as she sits back down, shooting him a look, like she knows exactly what’s on the tape. Derek narrows his eyes at her.

“Sit down,” Lydia instructs.

“No, I’ll stand. I don’t feel like sitting.” And Derek moves behind the couch, moving toward the back wall of the living room, trying to get as far away from everyone as possible. He notices now that Stiles is trying his best to ignore him.

Scott is putting the DVD in, and then he’s bounding over to the arm chair to squeeze in next to Allison, wrapping her in his arms and making Stiles grunt as he moves over, moving up to his knees as he rests his arm on the armrest of the chair.

“Play it,” Stiles is saying excitedly, moving to make a grab for the remote, but Scott gets there first.

“I am I am, don’t worry, my brother,” Scott laughs, pointing the remote and pressing play.

Derek is currently trying to melt into the wall by now, crossing his arms over his chest and trying to keep his fear at bay. He ignores the calculating look Lydia throws his way over her shoulder. She really needs to stop meddling, for Derek’s own sanity.

Derek winces as the home video starts to play, Melissa’s voice coming through the speakers.

_“Okay, here it is, guys. The day we’ve all been waiting for. Prom!” The camera shakes a little as Melissa moves around the house, which is Scott’s old house where Melissa still lives with John._

_She moves into the living room where everyone is gathered. Scott and Stiles are fixing each other’s bow ties and laughing at each other while Allison and Lydia are giggling over something in the corner. Isaac is lounging on the couch in his tux, and Danny and Ethan are whispering to each other in low voices in another corner._

_Lydia’s date, some guy named Mike, stands awkwardly off to the side._

_Then John’s voice comes off to the side. “All right everyone, smile for the camera!”_

_Everyone turns to look at the entrance at Melissa and John, and Melissa laughs. “It’s a video camera, John.”_

_“I knew that,” He huffs._

_“So it looks like we’re missing two people. Where are you dates, boys?” Melissa says, focusing in on Isaac and then Stiles._

_“Jane is coming,” Isaac smiles. “She just texted that she’s on her way over.”_

_“Uh, Jason should be here soon,” Stiles shrugs, smiling even though it was clear you could see the worry on his face._

Stiles in the present day laughs. “Oh right, this is when I was almost stood up.” 

“Dude, you were such a mess over it,” Scott commiserates.

“He wasn’t worth the tears in the end anyway, believe me,” Stiles snorts, shaking his head, most likely remembering Jason.

On the video, it cuts to Derek in the dining room who had been sitting at the table reading a book. 

Derek cringes and moves forward a little. “You guys, we really don’t have to watch this.”

“Shhh!” Scott waves his words away, turning back to the television and Derek starts to internally panic.

_“And here we have the lone wolf of the pack -” Melissa snorts out a laugh while John’s chuckle can be heard as Derek rolls his eyes. “Who is unfortunately 26-years-old and thus too old for prom.”_

_“Mhmm,” Derek nods, looking back down at his book._

_“Say hi, Derek!” Melissa implores. “It might not be your prom, but you’re pack as well.”_

_Derek looks slowly up at the camera. “Hi.”_

_“There you go!” Melissa says enthusiastically. “We’ll leave you to brood in peace now.”_

_Derek narrows his eyes at the camera. “Haha, very funny.”_

_“What, it’s true!” Melissa laughs, making the camera shake slightly._

“You’re still a major brooder,” Isaac says, looking over his shoulder at Derek.

“Good ol’ Derek,” Lydia sing-songs. Derek glares at her and ignores the rest of the pack looking at him as he inches back to the wall. 

“I think we’ve seen enough,” Derek tries.

“No no, we have to watch the whole thing,” Allison says, and the rest of the pack agrees.

Derek curses internally as the video cuts to Stiles who is sitting on the couch, Scott next to him with an arm around his shoulders.

_“I thought he actually liked me.” Stiles sniffs, wiping at his eyes._

_“Dude, he’s not worth it. Screw Jason,” Scott says, giving Stiles’ shoulder a comforting squeeze._

_“Yeah, the asshole is so not worth it. Forget the prick,” Lydia says from where she and Allison are standing by Stiles in front of the couch._

_“Of course it’s just my luck that I get stood up on my prom,” Stiles sniffs, giving a short sob as he covers his face. “Only me, right guys?”_

_“That’s not true!” Allison implores, leaning down to squeeze Stiles’ shoulder._

_“It’s just not fair. What did I do?” Stiles asks, looking up as his friends._

_“Nothing.” Scott snaps, looking angry._

_“Oh my…” Melissa murmurs._

_Then John comes into the frame, sitting next to Stiles and pulling him into his arms. “Come here. It’ll all be okay, I promise you. You’ll still get to go to your prom.”_

_“How?” Stiles cries into his father’s shoulder._

_Then John looks up into the camera, clearly communicating silently with Melissa._

Then the video cuts to Derek with his book at the table and Derek darts forward again. “Guys, come on, that’s enough. We’ve seen enough. Let’s just -“

“No, wait,” Scott cuts him off, sitting forward. In fact, the whole pack sits forward in their seats as Melissa’s voice comes through the speakers again.

_“Hey again, Derek.”_

_“What is it?” Derek asks, sensing something from the look on Melissa and John’s faces._

Derek backs away, turns to face the wall as he runs his fingers nervously through his hair. He can’t bring himself to watch his humiliation.

_“Derek, could you do us a favor?” Melissa implores. “Could you maybe be a doll and take Stiles to the prom?”_

_“What,” Derek says flatly, closing his book with a snap and looking up at Melissa and John in disbelief._

_“Please, son,” John says. “Stiles’ date stood him up, and he wanted to go the prom so badly, to have a normal, teenage night.”_

_“You’d just be going as friends, of course,” Melissa is quick to say. “But Stiles needs a date, and you guys are already friends, so it won’t be awkward. There won’t be any expectations."_

_"I’ve got a tux in the closet that should fit you just fine, if you do it. Please, Derek?”_

_“John…” Derek trails off, looking uncomfortable. “I doubt Stiles wants me to be his date.”_

_“Trust us, you’re much better than that Jason asshole,” John says._

Stiles gasps at that from where he’s been sitting, and he turns his head toward Derek, who doesn’t see it because he’s still facing toward the wall, his eyes shut tight, before looking back at the TV in rapt attention. 

_“And hey, you and Stiles actually like each other now, so I’m sure it won’t be so bad for you,” John is saying, and Derek is sitting there looking uncertain._

_“Come on, Derek. Please do this. For Stiles,” Melissa says._

_At that, Derek looks down at the table, then he looks up at the camera, and a second later he nods. “Okay. Sure, fine, why not? It’s for Stiles.”_

_“Aww, yay!” Melissa cheers._

_The video then cuts to Derek in the upstairs hall, decked out in an old tux of John’s that seems like a slightly tight fit, but it’s not too noticeable._

_“Are you guys going to turn that video off anytime soon?” Derek huffs, looking like he feels awkward, even though he looks amazing._

_“No, this is the prom! Everything has to be documented!” John says. “So, are you ready? Stiles is going to be so happy and thankful."_

_"Yeah…” Derek lets out a breath, looking around him before zeroing in on a pot of flowers that are resting on the table in the hall. “Just…” Derek moves over, takes the flowers, shakes them to get the excessive water off, shrugging as he looks at the camera. “This good? You think Stiles will like them?”_

_“Oh, he’ll love them,” Melissa says. “Derek, you’re such a sweetie for doing this.”_

_“Ah, well…” Derek waves the compliment away, shrugging and looking shyly down at the ground._

_“Okay, let’s do this!” John says cheerfully, and the camera follows Derek to the top of the stairs where he pauses to look down the stairs just as there is raucous laughter and shouting as the pack comes out of the living room to the door._

_The camera swivels around down the stairs as the pack gathers, Scott opening the door with a cheer as Stiles laughs, his hand in another boys, in Jason’s, who decided to show up in the end anyway. “Jason, stop!” Stiles laughs as the boy keeps kissing his cheek, and then they and the rest of the pack are out the door as Scott shouts “Prom, here we come!” and then they all shout “wooo!”_

_There’s silence as the camera swings back to Derek, who’s still standing at the top of the stairs, a heartbroken look showing clearly on his face, flowers still standing proudly in his hand._

_“Oh dear…” John’s voice sounds from the speakers. “Melissa, turn the camera off.”_

_Derek looks down at the flowers, and the tears in his eyes are clear, easy to see as he lets his hand holding the flowers drop to his side._

_“I’m trying, John. Where’s the damn off button?”_

_“It’s right here, just -” The camera shakes as John obviously takes it and then there is one more shot off Derek covering his eyes as he starts to turn away before the camera shuts off and the screen goes black._

Everyone is staring at Derek as it ends, and Derek has turned around, but he’s looking at the ground, his hand on his neck as he nervously rubs it, avoiding everyone’s eyes, especially Stiles’.

“You did that?” Stiles says in a whisper, wonder and shock on his face. “For me?”

“Well. It was no big deal, it’s just…” Derek shrugs, moving back against the wall, trying to disappear as everyone in the pack stares at him in shock.

“No big deal?” Scott bursts out. “Dude, I can’t believe you did that." 

"That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s done, ever,” Danny says from his chair. 

Derek just shrugs, crossing his arms across his chest and looking away from everyone.

But Stiles is getting up, his eyes on Derek, have been on Derek since the video ended, and he walks over to Derek while everyone stays silent in their seats, watching.

Derek still can’t meet Stiles’ eyes, but then he feels hands on his cheeks pulling his face up so Stiles can kiss him, and Derek lets in a shocked breath as he finally feels Stiles’ lips against his own after all this time.

Derek can’t quite believe it as the kiss lingers, lengthens, and then they’re full on making out as Stiles wraps his arms around Derek and Derek gets with the program and wraps his arms around his waist.

He faintly hears Lydia say, “See? He’s his lobster!” and then Jackson say, “Lydia, what the fuck are you talking about?” before he blocks everything and everyone out except Stiles. Stiles and his soft, eager lips that are making Derek feel things he’s never quite felt before, Stiles and his happy, soft smile when he pulls back from the kiss. 

Derek feels himself smiling back as they hug each other, burying his face in Stiles’ shoulder, and it was safe to say that this was not how Derek was expecting the evening to go, especially after Scott started playing that video.

Everyone in the pack is clapping, and Isaac is whistling while Allison shouts, “Finally!”

And Stiles laughs, pulling back to kiss Derek again and Derek can’t stop grinning into the kiss, feeling happier than he has in, well…ever, really.

Stiles pulls back long enough to say, “God, I love you. You have no idea how much I love you,” before diving back into the kiss.

Derek pulls back this time, grinning as he feels happiness wash through his body. “I have a pretty good idea.”

Stiles rests his forehead against Derek’s as they sway together, arms wrapped around each other.

In the end, Derek should probably thank Melissa, because if she hadn’t have filmed that, then who knows how long Stiles and Derek would have continued to dance around each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

He’d bake her a cake and give it to her the next time he saw her.

And he’d probably have Stiles by his side when he did.


End file.
